It’s a feeling we all know too well. You fire up your VPN to keep things private, and suddenly your internet slows to a crawl. Videos start buffering, pages won't load, and the frustration builds. You're left wondering, "why is my VPN so slow?"
While some slowdown is expected with any VPN, a massive speed drop is almost always a sign of a problem you can fix.
A small dip of 10-20% is normal—that's the encryption working its magic. But if your speeds get slashed by 50% or more, something is definitely wrong. The good news is, you can usually pinpoint the cause of a slow VPN connection and fix it yourself.
This guide will walk through the nine most common culprits behind a VPN slowing down your internet and give you clear, actionable steps to get your speed back. From picking the right server to tweaking protocol settings, we'll get you back to smooth streaming and secure browsing.
Why Do VPNs Slow Down Your Connection?
Before we dive into the fixes, let's quickly cover the basics. A VPN works by encrypting your internet traffic and routing it through a secure server somewhere else in the world. This process adds two main steps:
- Encryption: Your device has to scramble (encrypt) and unscramble (decrypt) all your data, which takes processing power.
- Rerouting: Your data takes a longer path—from you, to the VPN server, and then to its final destination.
Both of these steps add a small delay, which is why a minor speed drop is normal. However, a significant slowdown means there's a bottleneck somewhere in that process.
9 Reasons Your VPN Is Slow (And How to Fix Each)
If you're asking "why is my VPN connection so slow?", it usually boils down to one of these nine common issues. Let's diagnose and fix them one by one.
1. You're Connected to a Distant Server
The Problem: Physics is a real killjoy when it comes to data. The farther your traffic has to travel to the VPN server and then to its final destination, the longer it takes. This delay, known as latency or ping, directly impacts your speed. Connecting to a server in Japan from the UK will always be slower than connecting to one in France.
The Fix: Stick to servers that are physically close to you. Most quality VPN apps have a "Quick Connect" or "Fastest Server" button that automatically finds the best option for you. Use it for the fastest speeds.
2. The VPN Server Is Overloaded
The Problem: If you're connected to a server that's packed with other users, you're all sharing the same slice of bandwidth. It’s like a highway during rush hour—everyone slows to a crawl. This is a common issue with free or low-quality VPNs that don't have enough servers.
The Fix: Just disconnect and reconnect. You'll likely be assigned to a different, less crowded server in the same region. You can also manually pick a different city or try connecting during off-peak hours when fewer people are online.
3. You're Using a Slow VPN Protocol
The Problem: Think of the VPN protocol as the engine powering your connection. Some engines are built for stability, others for speed. Older protocols like OpenVPN (especially over TCP) are notoriously sluggish because they have a lot of code and heavy encryption overhead. This creates a serious bottleneck. If you're experiencing a slow vpn, your protocol is a prime suspect.
The Fix: Switch to a modern, lightweight protocol like WireGuard. It's the current gold standard for speed and efficiency. Tegant VPN is built on WireGuard, which uses far less processing power and has a cleaner codebase, making it incredibly fast on both desktops and mobile devices. You can see the raw numbers in our detailed WireGuard vs OpenVPN comparison. For more detail on protocols, check out our guide on what are VPN protocols explained.
4. Your Base Internet Connection Is Already Slow
The Problem: A VPN can't magically make your internet faster than it already is. If your baseline internet speed is slow to begin with, the VPN will only make it slower. The VPN is a tunnel, not a rocket booster.
The Fix: Disconnect the VPN and run a speed test (we'll cover how below). This will show you your baseline speed. If it's slow, try restarting your router or contacting your Internet Service Provider (ISP). You can't fix a slow VPN if the problem isn't the VPN.
5. Your Device Is Struggling
The Problem: The encryption and decryption process uses your device's CPU. If you have an older phone, a budget laptop, or lots of apps running in the background, your device might not have enough processing power to handle the VPN at full speed.
The Fix: Close any unnecessary applications and browser tabs to free up resources. Restart your device to clear its memory. Also, using an efficient protocol like WireGuard is crucial here, as it uses significantly less CPU than older protocols.
6. Your Firewall or Antivirus Is Interfering
The Problem: Security software like firewalls and antivirus programs scan your internet traffic for threats. When you use a VPN, they have to inspect the encrypted data packets, which can slow everything down. Sometimes they can mistakenly flag the VPN traffic as suspicious.
The Fix: Try temporarily disabling your firewall or antivirus to see if your speed improves. If it does, go into the software's settings and add your VPN app to the "whitelist" or "exceptions list." This tells your security software to trust the VPN and not interfere with it.
7. Your ISP Is Throttling VPN Traffic
The Problem: Some Internet Service Providers (ISPs) don't like VPNs. They might deliberately slow down traffic that looks like it's coming from a VPN. This is especially common on networks that restrict certain types of content or services.
The Fix: Use a VPN feature called "obfuscation" or "stealth mode." This disguises your VPN traffic to look like regular internet traffic, making it harder for your ISP to detect and throttle. Another trick is to switch your VPN protocol's port to 443 (the same one used by secure web traffic), which is less likely to be blocked. Tegant's Premium tier includes V2Ray and XRay protocols, which provide advanced obfuscation for users in restrictive countries where standard VPNs are throttled.
8. Your WiFi Network Is Congested
The Problem: A vpn speed so slow might not be the VPN's fault at all. If you're far from your router, or if many devices are on the same WiFi network, the congestion can cause a significant slowdown that you might mistake for a VPN issue.
The Fix: Move closer to your router for a stronger signal. If your router supports it, switch from the 2.4GHz band to the 5GHz band, which is typically faster and less crowded. You can also test your connection using mobile data to see if your WiFi is the culprit.
9. Your VPN Provider Has Slow Infrastructure
The Problem: Not all VPNs are created equal. Free or cheap providers often cut corners by using a small number of slow, overcrowded servers. If your provider's network can't handle the traffic, you'll experience slow speeds no matter what you do.
The Fix: If you've tried all the other fixes and your speeds are still terrible, it might be time to switch providers. Look for a premium VPN that invests in high-speed infrastructure, like a network of 10 Gbps servers. Tegant's server network is optimized for speed, ensuring it can handle data-heavy tasks like streaming and gaming without buffering. Investing in a quality provider is often the ultimate way to speed up your vpn.
How to Properly Test Your VPN Speed
Stop guessing and start measuring. Getting hard numbers is the only way to know if your VPN is slowing down your internet and by how much. Here’s a simple three-step process.
- Step 1: Test Your Baseline Speed: Disconnect from the VPN. Go to a reliable speed testing site like speedtest.net or fast.com and run a test. Note down the download, upload, and ping results. This is your raw internet speed.
- Step 2: Connect to the VPN: Open your VPN app and connect to the nearest server location for the most accurate comparison.
- Step 3: Test Again and Calculate: Go back to the same speed testing site and run the test again. Compare the new results to your baseline.
What's an acceptable speed drop?
- Under 20%: Excellent. Your VPN is performing beautifully.
- 20-40%: Acceptable. This is a standard range for most daily use.
- Over 50%: A problem. A drop this large means something is wrong and you should start troubleshooting with the fixes above.
VPN Protocol Speed Comparison
Choosing the right protocol can make a huge difference. Here's a quick breakdown of the most common options. See our guide on choosing the best VPN protocol for a deeper dive.
| Protocol | Speed | Security | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| WireGuard | Fastest | Strong | Daily use, streaming, gaming |
| IKEv2 | Fast | Strong | Mobile devices (stable connections) |
| OpenVPN UDP | Medium | Strong | Good balance of speed and reliability |
| OpenVPN TCP | Slowest | Strong | Restricted networks (most reliable) |
As you can see, WireGuard is the clear winner for speed, which is why it's the default choice for performance-focused VPNs like Tegant. For more on this, read our UDP vs TCP for VPNs article.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my VPN so slow on iPhone?
This is often due to iOS's battery optimization settings or using a heavy protocol like OpenVPN. The best fix is to use a VPN app that supports the WireGuard protocol, as it's far more efficient and uses less battery. Also, try switching from WiFi to mobile data to see if your local network is the problem.
Does a VPN always slow down internet?
Yes, a slight slowdown is inevitable. Your data is being encrypted and routed through an extra server, which adds a small delay. However, with a premium VPN using a modern protocol like WireGuard, this speed loss is often minimal (10-20%) and unnoticeable for most activities.
Can a VPN make my internet faster?
Rarely, but it can happen in one specific case: ISP throttling. If your internet provider is deliberately slowing down certain activities (like streaming or torrenting), a VPN can bypass this by hiding your traffic from them. We have a full guide on how to avoid ISP throttling.
How much speed loss is normal with a VPN?
A speed drop of 10-20% is normal and expected. A loss between 20-40% is acceptable. If your speed drops by more than 50%, it's a clear sign that there's a problem you need to investigate.
Which VPN protocol is fastest?
WireGuard is currently the fastest VPN protocol available. It was designed from the ground up for speed and efficiency, significantly outperforming older protocols like OpenVPN. IKEv2 is the next fastest and is also a great choice, especially for mobile devices.
Ready to stop troubleshooting and start browsing at full speed? Tegant VPN is built on the lightning-fast WireGuard protocol and a 10 Gbps server network to deliver the speed you need without ever compromising your privacy.